Rotating sprinkler



y 15, 1956 D. o. NORLAND 2,745,698

ROTATING SPRINKLER Filed May 4, 1953 INVENTOR. ogmefi @l fiizilalac United States Patent ROTATING SPRINKLER Daniel 0. Norland, Cypress, Calif.

Application May 4, 1953, Serial No. 352,738

4 Claims. (Cl. 299-68) This invention relates to lawn sprinklers and more particularly to sprinklers of the type designed to rotate so as to throw a jet of water in an annular path. I

In Patent 1,950,512 to Norland a rotating sprinkler was described in which the water jet impinged upon a serrated disc, causing the disc to revolve. The disc was so weighted as to be unevenly balanced, and the resultant torque and vibration caused the disc to swing and to swing the sprinkle nozzle to which the disc was attached. The principle of swinging a nozzle in direct response to reactive force of a jet acting upon a serrated member, or upon an inclined target, or even upon the atmosphere, has been widely employed in lawn sprinklers. However the reactive force of these directly responsive devices is so closely related to the volume and force of the jet that it often drops to inoperative levels when the jet pressure is reduced. Water might be thrown in a wide circle, but not effectively in a small one.

It is an object of this invention to provide a sprinkler which will rotate effectively in response to a relatively low jet pressure as well as to high pressure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sprinkler which may be adjusted to a wide range of operating conditions, to vary the rate of rotation, the diameter of the area sprinkled, and the distribution of water within that area, with considerable independence of the volume or pressure of the water.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sprinkler in which all of the aforesaid adjustments may be made by a single and simple adjustment at the sprinkler head,

with concomitant adjustment of the volume and pressure as may be desired.

Still another object of the invention is to provide the aforesaid advantages in a sprinkler of compact and inconspicuous dimensions, so that not only is the cost of manufacture low but the sprinkler may be left in position or even permanently attached to an underground piping system as an unobtrusive utility in a lawn or garden.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrative of a presently preferred embodiment of my invention,

Fig. 1 is a side view of my sprinkler, parts subject to adjustment being shown in dotted line in an adjusted position;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the actuating disc on an enlarged scale; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation from the viewpoint opposite to Fig. 1, a modified form of actuating disc being shown.

Having reference to the details of the drawing, a nozzle head 6 is mounted on a tubular member 7 which is freely rotatable, in conventional manner, in an adapter 8, threaded for attachment to a hose, a piping system, or a suitable carrier, not shown. The head 6 has a jet nozzle 9, extending to one side of the axis of rotation provided by the member 7 and inclined suitably upwardly. It will be understood that the adapter 8, member 7, head "ice 6, and jet nozzle 9 are internally adapted to conduct water to the nozzle 9. A counterbalancing arm 10 extends from the head 6 oppositely to the nozzle 9.

Mounted pivotally upon a pin or bolt 12 secured in the head 6 beside the nozzle 9 is a post 13. A spring washer 14, having a forked end 15 engaged by a lug 16, may be tightened by a nut 17 on the pin 12 to hold the post 13 at a desired inclination with respect to the head 6. The upper part of the post 13 forms a bearing for a sleeve 18, held upon the post by a nut 19. The sleeve 18 carries a disc 20 which, responding to impingement of water from the jet nozzle 9, is the primary actuating mechanism of my sprinkler.

The disc 20 has a plurality of serrations 21 on its lower face, the serrations being of saw-tooth shape with steep faces 22 and longer, gentler faces 23. The lateral disposition of the post 13 relatively to the jet nozzle 9 causes water from the nozzle 9 to impinge upon the disc 20 as shown by the arrow W of Fig. 3, the impingement being upon the steep faces 22, and causes rotation at the disc as shown by the arrow R. The serrations 21 are preferably not radial to the disc 20 but are at an angle to the radii, their outer ends trailing their inner ends as the disc rotates. They are also preferably graduated in depth outwardly, their outer ends being deeper. Adjustment of the inclination of the post 13 will obviously change the plane of rotation of the disc 20 and the angle of impingement of water from the nozzle 9 upon the disc.

A hammer arm 25 is mounted pivotally on the upper face of the disc 20, being pivoted on a stud 26 set in a lug 27 near the periphery of the disc 20. Rotation of the disc 20 causes the hammer arm 25 to swing out centrifugally in the plane of rotation of the disc 20,-in an orbit which, in all normal operating inclinations of the disc 20, encompasses the axis of rotation of the head 6 and so brings the outer end of the hammer arm 25 cyclically to the opposite side of that axis. A shoulder 28 on the lug 27 prevents the hammer arm 25 from passing beyond a position radial to the disc 20, thus preventing the arm from taking a position, when inactive, .in which it might engage the hereinafter mentioned anvil end-on and so inhibit rotation of the disc. In the reverse direction of movement, the hammer arm 25 will engage the hub 29 of the disc 20 and so be prevented from assuming a dead-center position from which it would not easily swing.

The counter-balancing arm 10 supports an anvil 30, which like the arm 10 is disposed on the side of the axis of rotation of the head 6 opposite to the nozzle 9. The anvil 30 is tilted upwardly and inwardly toward the axis of rotation so as to come within the orbit of the hammer arm 20 in all the planes of that orbit corresponding to normal operating inclinations of the disc 20, which may be defined as limited by an inclination in which water from the nozzle 9 just misses impinging on the disc 20 and an inclination so transverse to the jet of water as to turn the jet downward into a small area immediately surrounding the sprinkler. In the plane corresponding to the first-mentioned limit of inclination, illustrated with some exaggeration in dotted lines in Fig. l, the hammer 25 may still engage the anvil 30, but not with force,

because the disc 20 is no longer struck and rotated by the water. Water will move steadily in one direction, as from a fixed hose. In the plane corresponding to the secondmentioned limit of inclination, the orbit of the hammer will pass above the anvil 30, the hammer will swing outwardly and downwardly by gravity and will tend to hold the disc 20 from greater movement than a mild rocking. Water will move in a broken, deflected, stream toward the ground, an action desirable in flooding garden beds or irrigation channels.

of the smaller angle of impingement.

.mer 25 is swung with greater force. mernow strikes .the anvil 30 higher and closer to the axis The inclination of the anvil 30 is such that its struck face-31 is a shallow cord of a circle centered upon the pin 12 and having as radius :the distance between the pin 12 and the end of the hammer 25 in centrifugally extended position. In the normal operation in which the hammer'str'ikes the anvil, the anvil intercepts the hammer at substantially the same position on the hammer at all inclinations of the orbit of the hammer. Thus for equal speeds of rotation of the disc 20, the blow struck by the harrnner'is-substantia'lly of constant force at all angles of inclination of the hammer orbit, although the efiect of the "blow will vary :according to whether the point of impact'on the anvil'is low and spaced widely from the axis of rotation of the head 6, or high and relatively .close to the axis.

After striking the anvil 30, the hammer 25 will pivot on the stud 26 so as to slide past the anvil and will then resume its centrifugally extended position before another revolution :of the disc is completed.

"The hammer and anvil'30 are both easily replaced fifiworn, the hammer. being held merely by the stud '26, and the :anvil "by screws 32.

In the modified disc 35, shown in Fig. 4, the serrations "36 are of unequal depth, being deepest at a position 37 "at which they are 'in thepath of the water jet and so receive the impingement thereof substantially at the instant that the hammer 25 strikes the anvil 30. The

"greater depthof the serrations 36 at the position 37 JfromJthe jet nozzle 9 just impinges upon the disc 20 at asma'll acute angle. Under these conditions, less water strikes upon the disc, and the intercepted water strikes thei'disc near the far edge of the disc and not perpendicuilarly .to the serrations 21, although the non-radial arrangement of the serrations minimizes the disadvantage The disc, as a primary actuator of rotation, becomes slightly less efficient, rotating more slowly and swinging the hammer 25 'withless force.

However, the hammer itself becomes .more efficient, striking the anvil low and further from the axis ofrotation of the sprinkler and therefor with greater effect. A balance of forces is thus achieved, producing .a norm of angularidistance of rotation, at a slightly slower rate of angular change.

"When his desired to deflect the water towards the ground at less than the maximum radial capability of the sprinkler, the. post '13 is adjusted so that the disc 20 cuts across the waterjjet more obliquely. In this position the i'fu'll effect of the water jet may be utilized and the water strikes the serrations 21 at a more effective angle. The disc therefore tendsto rotate more rapidly, and the ham- However the hamof rotation of the sprinkler, and the balance of forces again produces the norm of angular distance of rotation,

--this time at a faster pulse of angular change.

As a more distant radial travel of the waterstream will spread water over a greater area, the slower pulse of angular change becomes desirable in order to permit the @ground to become well soaked, whereas when the water is moreconcentrated close to the sprinkler, a more rapid pulse of angular change becomes desirable to prevent over-soaking and run-off. These desiderata are automatically attained by my improved sprinkler.

The compactness of the sprinkler, which will be evident from the illustrations, is made possible by mounting .the hammer 25 .on the rapidly rotating disc 20, thereby gaina long hammer and an extended radius of the anvil.

I claim:

1. A sprinkler comprising: a jet nozzle mounted to revolve on an upright axis and having its discharge end extended to one side of said axis and having an arm extending oppositely on the other side of said axis; a disc rotatably mounted on saidmozz'le so as to receive discharged water from .said nozzle, .and having serrations against which the discharged water may impinge to cause rotation of said disc; :1 hammerpivotally mounted on said disc adjacent the edge thereof so as .to be thrown centrifugally outwardly by rotation of said disc, the orbit of said hammer then encompassing said axis, said hammer swinging only in the plane of said disc; and anvil means carried by said arm extending into the orbit of said hammer on the side of said axis opposite to the discharge end of said .nozzle so as .to be struck by the hammer when the hammer is centrifugally extended .said hammer then retracting from its extended position to a position substantially chordal to said disc in which said anvil means is outside the diminished orbit of said hammer.

2. A sprinkler as set forth in claim 1, in which some of. said serrations are of greater depth than others thereof, the serrations ofgreates't depth being so disposed in relation to said hammer as .to.be impinged upon by the discharged water substantially at the instant that said hammer strikes said anvil means.

'3. A sprinkler comprising: a jet nozzle rotatably mounted and having its discharge end on one side of its axis of rotation and having an anvil on the other side of said axis, a disc .rotatably mounted on said nozzle and adjustably inclinable with respect to said nozzle to receive discharged water from said nozzle at different angles of impact and having serrations against which the discharged water may impinge to cause rotation of said disc; and a hammer pivo'tally mounted on said disc so as to be thrown centrifugally-outward'by rotationof said disc, the plane of rotation of said hammer varying with "the inclination of said disc, said anvil being so disposed as to intersect the :orbitof said hammer at various inclinations of said disc.

'4."In a sprinkler having a jet nozzle rotatable to discharge water in an annular path, apparatus for causing rotation of said nozzlecomprising hammer means pivotally mounted for centrifugal swinging movement, anvil means displaced laterally from the axis of rotation of said nozzle, actuating means responsive to impingement of water from said nozzle .for swinging said hammer centrifugally in an orbit intersected by said anvil means said .actuatingrmeans "being adjustable to be impinged at a References Cited in the file of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 377,;623 .Konting .Feb. 7, 1888 1,080,136 Campbell .Dec. 2, .1913 1,146,663 'Stetter July 13, 1915 1,950,512 Norland Mar. 13, .1934 2,016,743 Ghislain .t 0on8, 19.35 2,212,008 .Buelna Aug. 20, 1940 2,582,158 Porter Jan. 8, :1952 

